Divisional Court Confirms Concurrent Jurisdiction Model Applies to Human Rights Disputes in Unionized Workplaces

The Divisional Court has confirmed that Ontario labour arbitrators share concurrent jurisdiction with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) over human rights disputes that arise in a unionized workplace.   As reported in our FTR Now of October 6, 2022, in Weilgosh v. London District Catholic School Board, the Tribunal determined it shared jurisdiction with…

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Awards Applicant $180,000 as Compensation for Injury to Dignity, Feelings and Self-Respect

In the recent decision of L.N. v. Ray Daniel Salon & Spa, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) awarded an applicant $180,000 in damages for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect. In this case, the applicant was a recently arrived refugee to Canada. She had not yet received her work permit when she started…

Divisional Court Finds “Permanent Residence” Not a Protected Ground under Ontario Human Rights Code

In the recently released decision of Imperial Oil Limited v. Haseeb, a majority of the Divisional Court (Court) quashed a decision of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Tribunal) which treated “permanent residence” as intrinsically included in the protected ground of “citizenship.” The majority held that such an expansion to the ground of “citizenship” was…